Wilfrith of Mercia

Wilfrith of Mercia (868-) was King of Mercia from 885, succeeding Harold.

Biography
Wilfrith was born in Mercia in 868 to an Anglo-Saxon noble family; he was presumably the son of Harold of Mercia, whom he succeeded as King of Mercia on his death in 885. Wilfrith was a weak ruler; he inherited a much-reduced Mercia whose former lands had fallen prey to the Vikings of Djurby in the north, the Welsh kingdoms in the west, and Anglo-Saxon rebels on all sides. He also lacked independence, as he was a mere vassal of King Alfred the Great of Wessex, who often had to reassert West Saxon control over Mercia by conquering the rebel-held settlements. This significantly reduced the size of Mercia, which, by the 890s, was limited to Tamworth and a few surrounding towns and cities.